How Passive Fire Protection Can Save Lives and Property in Case of Fire?

The term ‘passive fire protection’ refers to fire protection measures that do not require manual or automatic activation to function. Through heat absorption or thermal insulation, they reduce the rate of temperature rise of the object being protected. Passive fire protection is important in commercial systems as they are designed to block areas of a building so that they don’t get too hot or too cold which prevents fires from starting and spreading throughout the entire building structure. Moreover, it also provides an additional layer of protection against extreme weather conditions so that your building won’t lose heat when the temperature outside begins to fluctuate. Now that you know what passive fire protection systems are, we will look at the different types and how it saves lives and property in case of a fire.

Types Of Passive Fire Protection Systems

• Fire Stopping and Penetration Sealing Systems

Fire compartmentation in a building can be achieved by forming fire barriers across compartments wherever the service penetrants cross the compartment. Fire penetration seals like Vermiculite cement, panel seals made from mineral wood or plastic and panel seals can be used for this purpose.

• Fire Retardant Coatings

Fire retardation is another passive fire protection technique that can be achieved using fire retardant coatings. Most fires spread through electric cables. A fire-retardant coating is a thin protective coating that is applied on cables to protect them from fire, heat and to give firefighters more time to bring the fire under control.

• Fire Doors and Partitions

A fire door is a door with a fire-resistance rating that is used as a part of a passive fire protection system to separate the different components of a structure and to enable safe exit from a building. All fire doors must be installed with fire resistant fittings to comply with fire regulations.

• Fire Curtains

A fire curtain is used where there is a need to create a temporary barrier within an opening that seals off the area on fire. It descends and prevents fire and smoke from spreading to other areas. Moreover, it also allows people to access escape routes without any loss of fire resistance

How Passive Fire Protection Saves Lives and Property in Case of a Fire?

Unlike active types, passive fire-stop products are never used to extinguish a blaze. Instead, their role is to control the fire at its point of origin and stop the flames and smoke from spreading throughout the structure. This is achieved through compartmentalisation wherein every room or section of a building is a sealed room. In most instances, the blaze will extinguish itself within the confined space without spreading to other areas of a building.

Even if the fire does spread, passive fire protection systems increase the chances of escape for those in the building by controlling the blaze for a period. This provides firefighters with a safer environment to work in as they can clear the building of any people and seek to put out the flames.

Passive fire protection is an important measure that can help to prevent or minimize damage caused by fire, as well as save lives. By containing or limiting the spread of fire, passive fire barrier measures can buy people more time to evacuate a burning building, provide safe egress, and protect property. Vijay Systems Engineers is providing the best fire barrier and it is important for building owners and managers to ensure that their buildings are equipped with adequate passive fire protection measures.